NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37: Thank You for Participating
Xiao Yan led Nalan Yanran out of the Xiao Clan’s courtyard and onto the bustling street.
Although the Xiao Clan’s businesses would gradually close down during the New Year, the vacant shops were not left idle. During the New Year period, they could be rented for a small fee and used as desired.
Therefore, the streets were not deserted due to the Xiao Clan’s New Year celebrations. On the contrary, they were livelier than usual.
“Come here, let’s play this,” Xiao Yan said as he grabbed Nalan Yanran’s hand and approached a stall. Nalan Yanran’s eyes, still filled with melancholy, scanned the stall before her.
At the end of the stall, there was a huge rotating wheel divided into dozens of unevenly colored compartments. Each compartment had words like “Stuffed Bear” or “Washbone Flower” written on them. On the table in front of it were a few longbows, and nothing else.
What is this?
Nalan Yanran furrowed her brow slightly, feeling a hint of curiosity about the ty before her.
“Boss, give us five arrows,” Xiao Yan said, well aware of the stall’s prices from playing with the family’s juniors on the street every year. He took out ten gold coins from his pocket and tossed them to the stall owner.
“Sure thing,” the stall owner replied with a smile as he received the coins and handed five wooden arrows to Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan took one and handed it to Nalan Yanran.
“Give it a try,” Xiao Yan said concisely, even before Nalan Yanran had a chance to speak.
Nalan Yanran didn’t say anything. She simply nodded and took the arrow, her mind filled with question marks.
What is this for?
“Alright, let’s start,” the stall owner said as he reached out and spun the wheel. Xiao Yan, standing next to Nalan Yanran, spoke to her in a straightforward manner.
“Use the bow to shoot the wheel.”
“…”
Nalan Yanran didn’t say a word. She simply nodded and picked up the bow from the table, attaching the arrow to it.
Although her main focus was on swordsmanship, it didn’t mean she couldn’t use a bow at all.
Swoosh!
As Nalan Yanran released the bowstring, the arrow flew out and deeply embedded itself in the spinning wheel. The stall owner then reached out and stopped the wheel, allowing Nalan Yanran to clearly see the inscription where the arrow had hit.
The largest area with the most compartments hit by the arrow left the most indentations, spelling out the words “Thank You for Participating.”
“Hmm?” Nalan Yanran raised an eyebrow, looking at Xiao Yan before she could say anything. But even before she could speak, he handed her another arrow.
“Keep going,” Xiao Yan encouraged her with a smile.
Nalan Yanran looked at Xiao Yan in astonishment, then silently took the arrow and attached it to the bow again, aiming at the wheel that was spinning once more.
Swoosh!
As the second arrow hit the wheel, the stall owner stopped it again.
“Thank You for Participating.”
“Hmm?!” Nalan Yanran furrowed her brows even more tightly. Before she could look at Xiao Yan, he handed her the third arrow. Without hesitation, she took it and attached it to the bow once more.
Swoosh!
Nalan Yanran’s beautiful eyes stared intently at the wheel, not blinking.
As the wheel gradually came to a stop, Nalan Yanran saw it clearly.
The three arrows on the wheel had hit three different “Thank You for Participating” compartments.
“Hey! Are you cheating?!” Nalan Yanran’s previous despondency disappeared instantly. She slammed the bow on the table and glared at the stall owner, reprimanding him in a stern voice.
The stall owner didn’t get angry and simply shrugged, spreading his hands helplessly. “Little miss, this game is based on luck. With the bow and arrows in your hands, how can I cheat?”
“Tsk!” Nalan Yanran understood that her previous accusation was just instinctive. She then turned her head sharply toward Xiao Yan.
“Give me the remaining two arrows!”
“No problem,” Xiao Yan said with a smile as he handed the two remaining arrows to Nalan Yanran. She took them and placed them on the bow simultaneously, glaring at the stall owner.
“Let’s go again!”
The stall owner shrugged lightly and spun the wheel once more.
Nalan Yanran’s gaze was intense as she concentrated and held her breath. Then, with a sudden release, she let go of the bowstring.
Swoosh!
As the stall owner stopped the spinning wheel and looked at the arrows embedded in it, not only Nalan Yanran but also Xiao Yan and the stall owner were stunned.
“This… how should I put it…” The stall owner scratched his head and looked sympathetically at the stunned Nalan Yanran. “Young lady, your luck seems to be a bit off…”
The spinning wheel had a total of five “Thank You for Participating” compartments, and Nalan Yanran’s five arrows happened to hit one compartment each. It was unclear whether her luck was good or bad.
“Hahahaha!” Xiao Yan couldn’t help but cover his mouth and chuckle, which immediately infuriated Nalan Yanran. She glared at him fiercely.
“What are you laughing at?!”
“Nothing. Don’t mind me,” Xiao Yan waved his hand dismissively and then gestured to the stall owner. “Boss, thank you.”
After saying that, Xiao Yan grabbed Nalan Yanran’s hand and walked away to explore other stalls, but Nalan Yanran resisted.
“Wait… at least let me hit one…”
“There are plenty of fun things here. There’s no need to dwell on just one.”
“Hmm…”
For the next while, Xiao Yan accompanied Nalan Yanran through the market, experiencing various games and activities that she had never seen before.
They played ring toss, frisbee throwing, riddle guessing, and more. Nalan Yanran gradually forgot about her previous melancholy and became immersed in the joy of playing.
Although she occasionally became frustrated, her mood visibly improved.
“Aahhhhhh!!!!!”
After wandering around, they returned to the initial stall. Nalan Yanran saw the “Thank You for Participating” inscription for the 18th time, and she couldn’t hold back her frustration any longer. She angrily slammed the bow onto the ground.
“Why?! I just can’t hit it no matter what!!!”
The stall owner and Xiao Yan could only look at Nalan Yanran helplessly. Indeed, her luck was something else.
Xiao Yan shrugged, picked up the bow that Nalan Yanran had thrown on the ground, and loaded the last arrow onto it. He aimed at the spinning wheel.
Swish!
As the arrow shot out, the stall owner stopped the wheel as it gradually came to a halt. The inscription that Xiao Yan hit became visible.
There was only one compartment on the entire wheel, and it was the smallest one, labeled “Exquisite Bracelet.”
“This?!”
Nalan Yanran was stunned when she saw this. She couldn’t believe that she had shot 18 times while he hit it on his first attempt.
“Oh, this young man has good luck,” the stall owner chuckled and took out a box from under the counter, handing it to Xiao Yan.
“Young man, take it. This bracelet is made with a second-grade wood element monster core. It’s quite valuable. I only prepared two of these as prizes.”
“Thank you,” Xiao Yan said with a smile as he took the box and opened it, looking at the emerald green bracelet inside. The bracelet was adorned with a second-grade monster core.
This was more than just an exquisite bracelet; in this small Wutan City, it could already be considered a top-tier item.
(If I were to sell this, I could probably get nearly 2,000 gold coins.)
Xiao Yan furrowed his brows and looked at the stall owner.
“Boss, this bracelet is too valuable. I…”
Xiao Yan didn’t want to be a pushover. If it were a big merchant, it would be fine, but for a small stall like this, how long would it take to earn 2,000 gold coins?
“It’s fine. Take it. I set up this stall because I had nothing else to do these past few days. If it was about making money, I could have sold something else instead,” the stall owner said generously, waving his hand before looking at the dazed Nalan Yanran.
“Your girlfriend shot so many arrows at my stall today, and all she got were ‘Thank You for Participating.’ I’m really sorry.”
Girlfriend…
Upon hearing the stall owner’s words, Nalan Yanran was suddenly stunned, and a surge of joy filled her heart.
At the same time, after this shopping trip, something seemed to become clear in Nalan Yanran’s heart.
It’s not about making money, huh…
The stall owner himself said it. Xiao Yan didn’t even insist on returning the bracelet. He turned to look at Nalan Yanran and handed her the bracelet.
“Little Glutton, here, consider it a consolation prize.”
“Don’t call me that!”
Nalan Yanran, who had completely recovered her mood, instantly flared up and glared at Xiao Yan fiercely.
I shot 18 times and got nothing but “Thank You for Participating”! How can you get the jackpot with just one shot?!
“So, you don’t want it?” Xiao Yan said, pretending to take the bracelet back, but Nalan Yanran snatched it away.
“I want it! Who said I don’t want it?!”
Nalan Yanran tightly held the bracelet in her hand, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Then, she slammed a bag of gold coins onto the counter and said to the stall owner.
“Here’s 1,000 gold coins. Consider it a gift for you!”
“Huh? But this bracel…”
“It has nothing to do with the bracelet!”
Nalan Yanran interrupted forcefully, then turned and walked away with Xiao Yan, leaving the bewildered stall owner behind.